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  • Author Author: Alistair
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Cool Wave - The Heat Reduction Concept

Alistair
Image from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (via climate.gov)

Cool Wave - The Heat Reduction Concept

So, what is my idea and why is it appropriate for the Summer of Green Tech design challenge? In short, it is a smart ventilation system. A system that is simple in design but an effective way to help mitigate heat waves.

The temperature of the planet is rising and according to the UK Met Office’s “Effects of climate change” documents we are expecting more heat waves to hit us in the coming years. According to the recent World Health Organisation report "Improving public health responses to extreme weather/heat-waves : EuroHEAT" more than 44,000 additional deaths were recorded in August 2003 across 12 European countries. This is just one month and 12 countries, and does not consider the other social and environmental impacts this heat is having.

Some see the solution as using air conditioning to reduce the inside temperature, however this uses more energy, creates more CO2 emissions, and exacerbates the situation further. This is not a good solution. This is a bad solution.

Image from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (via climate.gov)

Fortunately there are still cooler times at night when the temperature falls. It is still hot, but not dangerously hot, and more importantly it is colder outside than inside. This is the time to open the windows and cool down the inside. The trouble is this is when we are asleep and the time changes based on the weather at the time.

This is where my idea comes in. It is a simple ventilation system that can be inserted into an open window, or attached to an air brick or vent, and when the air is cooler outside the house it turns on and creates an airflow through the property to reduce the inside temperature. When the outside temperature rises again it turns off until it is needed the following night.

It is not rocket science, but it is effective, and the more simple we can make it to build and operate the more likely it is to be used, and the better the world will be. My hope is I can make the design flexible enough so a variety of old parts can be used to make it, but defined enough that most people could build one. Let’s see how I get on.